[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2527 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2527
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 31, 2011
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition
and celebration of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Baseball Hall of Fame
Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) On June 12, 1939, the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum opened in Cooperstown, New York. Ty Cobb, Walter
Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner
comprised the inaugural class of inductees. This class set the
standard for all future inductees. Since 1939, just one percent
of all Major League Baseball players have earned induction into
the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
(2) The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is
dedicated to preserving history, honoring excellence, and
connecting generations through the rich history of our national
pastime. Baseball has mirrored our Nation's history since the
Civil War, and is now an integral part of our Nation's
heritage.
(3) The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
chronicles the history of our national pastime and houses the
world's largest collection of baseball artifacts, including
more than 38,000 three dimensional artifacts, 3,000,000
documents, 500,000 photographs, and 12,000 hours of recorded
media. This collection ensures that baseball history and its
unique connection to American history will be preserved and
recounted for future generations.
(4) Since its opening in 1939, more than 14,000,000
baseball fans have visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum to learn about the history of our national pastime
and the game's connection to the American experience.
(5) The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an
educational institution, reaching 10,000,000 Americans
annually. Utilizing video conference technology, students and
teachers participate in interactive lessons led by educators
from the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. These award-
winning educational programs draw upon the wonders of baseball
to reach students in classrooms nationwide. Each educational
program uses baseball as a lens for teaching young Americans
important lessons on an array of topics, including mathematics,
geography, civil rights, women's history, economics, industrial
technology, arts, and communication.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In recognition and celebration of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this
Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the
following coins:
(1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 8.359 grams;
(B) have diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent
copper.
(3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
dollar coins which shall--
(A) weigh 11.34 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar
coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United
States Code.
(b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
(c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
(d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, to the
extent possible without significantly adding to the purchase price of
the coins, the $1 coins and $5 coins minted under this Act should be
produced in a fashion similar to the 2009 International Year of
Astronomy coins issued by Monnaie de Paris, the French Mint, so that
the reverse of the coin is convex to more closely resemble a baseball
and the obverse concave, providing a more dramatic display of the
obverse design chosen pursuant to section 4(c).
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the game of baseball.
(2) Designations and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act there shall be--
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ``2015''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God
We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E
Pluribus Unum''.
(b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Commission of Fine Arts
and in accordance with subparagraph (c); and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
(c) Obverse Design Competition.--The Secretary shall hold a
competition and provide compensation for its winner to design the
common obverse of the coins minted under this Act, with such design
being emblematic of the game of baseball. The competition shall be held
in the following manner:
(1) The competition shall be judged by an expert jury
chaired by the Secretary and consisting of 3 members from the
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee who shall be elected by
such Committee and 3 members from the Commission of Fine Arts
who shall be elected by such Commission.
(2) The Secretary shall determine compensation for the
winning design, which shall be not less than $5,000.
(3) The Secretary may not accept a design for the
competition unless a plaster model accompanies the design.
(d) Reverse Design.--The design on the common reverse of the coins
minted under this Act shall depict a baseball similar to those used by
Major League Baseball.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1,
2015.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by
the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to
such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such
coins.
(2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act shall
include a surcharge as follows:
(1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin.
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
(3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of
coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to
the National Baseball Hall of Fame to help finance its operations.
(c) Audits.--The National Baseball Hall of Fame shall be subject to
the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States
Code, with regard to the amounts received under subsection (b).
(d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may
be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin
during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, the
issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin
programs issued during such year to exceed the annual commemorative
coin program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31,
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out
this subsection.
SEC. 8. BUDGET COMPLIANCE.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the
House of Representatives, provided that such statement has been
submitted prior to the vote on passage.
Passed the House of Representatives October 26, 2011.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.